Brahmajāla Sutta

The Intermediate Section on Conduct

"Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, cut or damage the roots, joints, buds, or seeds of plants.

Gautama, the recluse, does not engage in damaging seeds and plants.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, enjoy the use of things placed in storage such as:

• Food
• Drinks
• Clothing
• Vehicles
• Bedding
• Perfumes
• Ingredients

Gautama, the recluse, does not engage in using things placed in storage.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, watch shows featuring:

• Dancing
• Singing
• Instrumental music
• Plays
• Ballad recitals
• Clapping music
• Performances by bards
• Drums
• Art displays
• Acrobatics
• Combat involving elephants, horses, buffaloes, bulls, goats, rams, cocks, and quails
• Fights with staves, boxing, or wrestling
• Sham-fights
• Roll-calls
• Battle displays
• Military Parades

Gautama, the recluse, does not engage in watching such shows.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, enjoy games and recreational activities such as:

• Board games with eight or ten rows of squares
• The same games played by imagining the board in the air
• Games drawn on the ground where the player must move within the drawn boundaries
• Placing blocks or other pieces upon each other without collapsing the pile
• Games involving dice
• Hitting a short stick with a long one
• Games that involve throwing paint to create predefined shapes, such as the shape of an elephant or a horse
• Games involving balls
• Blowing through toy pipes made of leaves
• Plowing with toy plows
• Turning somersaults
• Playing with toy windmills made of leaves
• Playing with toy measures made of leaves
• Playing with toy carts
• Playing with toy bows
• Guessing the letters traced in the air, or on a playmate's back
• Guessing the thoughts of another person
• Mimicking deformities

Gautama, the recluse, does not engage in such games and recreational activities.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, enjoy the use of high and comfortable furnishings such as:

• Tall and comfortable couches
• Thrones with animal figures carved on the supports
• Goats' hair coverlets
• Patchwork counterpanes made of many colors
• White blankets
• Woolen coverlets embroidered with flowers
• Quilts stuffed with cotton
• Coverlets embroidered with figures of animals such as lions and tigers
• Rugs with fur on both sides
• Rugs with fur on one side
• Coverlets embroidered with gems
• Silk coverlets
• Spacious carpets with room for sixteen dancers
• Elephant rugs
• Horse rugs
• Chariot rugs
• Rugs made of antelope skins
• Rugs made of deer skins
• Carpets with red awnings above them
• Sofas with red pillows for the head and feet

Gautama, the recluse, does not use such high and comfortable furnishings.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, make themselves attractive by means such as:

• Rubbing scented powders on their bodies
• Massaging with the use of oils
• Taking luxurious baths
• Kneading their limbs with clubs
• Using mirrors
• Eye ointments
• Garlands
• Fragrances
• Cosmetics
• Bracelets
• Necklaces
• Luxurious walking-sticks
• Luxurious medicine cases
• Rapiers
• Sunshades
• Embroidered slippers
• Turbans
• Diadems
• Whisks of the yak's tail
• Long-fringed white robes

Gautama, the recluse, does not make himself attractive by such means.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, partake in empty conversational topics such as:

• Kings
• Bandits
• Ministers of state
• War
• Terrors
• Battles
• Foods and drinks
• Clothes
• Beds
• Garlands
• Fragrances
• Relationships
• Vehicles
• Villages
• Towns
• Cities
• Countries
• Women
• Heroes
• Street gossip
• Gossip by the well
• Ghosts
• Unfocused chatter
• The creation of the world or the sea
• Ideas about existence and non-existence

Gautama, the recluse, does not partake in such empty conversations.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, make use of argumentative phrases such as:

• "You don't understand this doctrine and discipline, I do."
• "How could you understand this doctrine and discipline?"
• "Your views are wrong. I am the one whose views are correct."
• "I am on topic, you are not."
• "You said last what should have been said first, and first what should have been said last."
• "You took such a long time to come up with something already refuted."
• "Your ideas have already been debunked."
• "You have been defeated."
• "Go and fix your false views."
• "Disentangle yourself if you are able."

Gautama, the recluse, does not make use of such argumentative phrases.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, run errands such as:

• Taking messages
• Going on errands
• Acting as middle men
• Serving kings, ministers of state, soldiers, Brahmans, or young men who say to them: "Go there, come here, take this along with you, bring that from there."

Gautama, the recluse, does not engage in such servitude.'

Or he might say: 'Some recluses and Brahmans, surviving on food given by the faithful, engage in deceptive actions such as:

• Trickery
• Selling prayers
• Divining
• Exorcism
• Seeking to add gain with gain

Gautama, the recluse, does not engage in such deceptive actions.'

This is how an outsider speaks when speaking well of the Tathāgata."